The sad part is they probably would. Bookstagram and BookTok girlies go feral for hot men who read. But I don’t tell him that.
We’re both breathless with laughter as I finally manage to grab the book, but not before losing my balance and collapsing half on top of him. His arm comes around me automatically, steadying me, and for a moment we’re just there, faces close, still smiling.
“God, I’ll miss this,” he says softly, and I know exactly what he means. Because I’ll miss it, too.
“Same,” I admit.
His eyes lock with mine, and something shifts in the air between us. The laughter fades from his face, replaced by an intensity that makes my breath catch. I become acutely aware of every point where our bodies touch—my leg draped over his, my hand on his chest, where I can feel his heart beating just a little too fast. His fingers absently tracing a pattern on my arm, leaving goose bumps in their wake.
What the hell is happening?
“Tatum,” he whispers, and the way he says my name makes my stomach flip.
I should move. I should definitely move. But I don’t want to. There’s something magnetic keeping me here even though Iknow it’s wrong; something in his blue eyes that I’ve never let myself look at too closely before.
His hand moves up to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear, lingering there against my cheek. The touch is gentle, questioning, and I find myself leaning into it without meaning to. The air feels thick, charged with something I’m not ready to name.
My phone chimes loudly from beside us, the sound shattering whatever spell had fallen over the room.
I practically leap away from him, fumbling for my phone with all the dexterity of a toddler.
Ethan’s name and photo light up the screen, and when I glance back at Brandon, he’s already putting distance between us, his expression guarded. Gone are his easy smile and laughter, and I realize as my thumb hovers over the screen how badly I want them back.
“You going to answer that?” he asks, his voice rough like gravel.
I nod, my pulse is still racing from Brandon’s touch and the way his voice wrapped around my name like it meant something more. At one time, I would’ve given anything for it to have meant more. But not anymore. Because now I have Ethan.
Or, at least, that’s what I tell myself as I swipe the screen and press the phone to my ear.
Chapter 5
BRANDON
Ibook it to my car and slide behind the wheel, yelling at Chris to hurry his ass up. “Come on, man. Tate called more than an hour ago.”
I glance at the dashboard as I start my car.
Shit. More like an hour and a half ago.
“Hey, I’m missing out on alone time with Lettie for this, so cool your tits,” Chris says as he climbs inside and settles into the passenger seat at the same time I slam on the gas, reversing out of the parking lot.
“I hate that she’s been sitting on the side of the road by herself just waiting for us.” I clench my jaw as I envision her stranded in the middle of nowhere, alone.
What if some asshole stops?
What if a semi plows into her car?
What if she gets tired of waiting and decides to walk back to campus alone?
Fuck.
I give the car a little more gas.
“How the hell were we supposed to know Coach would keep us an hour late?” Chris grumbles. “Besides, have you checked your messages? Maybe she called another friend for a ride.”
I shake my head. When I’m not the one monopolizing Tatum’s time, she hangs out with her roommate, Brittney, but I know for a fact Brit isn’t around tonight. “Her roommate left for a long weekend with her boyfriend, so there’s no one else she’d call.”
“How far out is she?”
